Former PM Naftali Bennett Condemns NYC Mayor Mamdani's Anti-Israel Remarks in English

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett launched a sharp public rebuke against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani following the mayor's harsh statements criticizing Israel, its leadership, and the Israel Defense Forces. Bennett responded on his X account in English, accusing Mamdani of aligning himself with antisemitic forces and those denying the October 7 Hamas attacks, which Bennett described as a genocidal terror assault. Bennett wrote that Mamdani's antisemitic slurs place him on the wrong side of history alongside Hamas supporters and massacre deniers, emphasizing that Israel will continue to defend itself resolutely in the just war forced upon it.

Bennett further condemned Mamdani for perpetuating a long tradition of attacks on Jews and warned that challenging the resilience of the Jewish people and Israel's strength would lead to defeat. He urged Mamdani to find another way to pursue his political ambitions. Bennett highlighted the pain and injustice inflicted on Israel since October 7, noting that Israel does not seek war but must fight against a terrorist organization responsible for horrific crimes including murder, kidnapping, and sexual violence. He criticized Mamdani's silence on Hamas's crimes as deafening and reaffirmed Israel's commitment to protect its people.

The confrontation follows Mamdani's recent admission that he lacks legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming UN visit in September, despite previously threatening to do so based on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Mamdani called Netanyahu "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people" and faced strong backlash in the US, including calls from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Herzog for Mamdani's arrest, labeling him an antisemitic liar inciting hatred against Jews.